Fruits of the Rainbow
by Pocky King Windy
Summary: Yaoi: Ken x Ran, Ken x Omi - AU. Written due to depression. Ran remembers his love affair with Ken before the return of Omi, whom after a long time away, comes back to reclaim his lost love.


Fruits of the Rainbow

虹がの果物

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Takehito Koyasu © or Project Weiß ©. The fanfiction belongs to me.

Warning: Yaoi. Flame and feel the wrath of a really angry and cranky Windy. Or, you can just take an IQ test and pass it knowing that you're retarded.

Plot Cockroach: I decided to change this scheme of writing some time ago, that about Ran and Ken as I normally would write, and this came up. Yeah, so it became a little different. I feel depressed. I lost something really dear to me on my two-day trip out; valueless as it may seem to some people, it's priceless to me. It's a necklace (yes, I said necklace, not chain), white silver in color, but not real silver, it's a costume jewelry necklace, with a glass gem in the middle that shines like a rainbow, and sometimes looks clear when looked in another angle. Valueless, yes, but to me it's priceless. It's the sole reminder of mine of Ian, how I had been so happy once. …Yeah, I sound lame. Anyway, this event made my muse work, sorry if it turns out horrible, I'm just not in a good mood, it's my fault actually for taking it along. But I can't imagine how I lost it! I only took it off once, and then it disappeared! I hunted for it throughout the night and dad ticked me off. Last resort? Burst into tears and vent my frustration on Ran.

Chris, please don't tell your brother. He's had enough to think about, I'm sure. You're right, I still like him lots. You can read me like a book. ^^; I'll come back one day, I think and hope I will. Then, I can learn to love you back too. We'll be a happy family then, right?

Pairing: Ken x Ran

Note: The characters look like that from the manga. AU but set alike in Weiß.

_________________

"Thank you…"

A necklace. White, pure, with nothing but a plain glass piece set on it that looked crystalline, yet changed to rainbow shades when light ran through. The redhead fingered it tentatively, glancing at Ken a few times before putting it on. Simple, sweet, it was just like the brunet to give him such an item.

"You're welcome. Glad you like it!" Ken cheered. "I kinda thought you'd like some colors in your life. I couldn't think what color you'd like other than black, or white, so I got this!"

"It's beautiful," Ran favored him with a half-smile and a small kiss on his cheek. He was content. Lately, Ran had discovered from Ken's younger brother about his ex-lover, and he had been worried that he couldn't really fill that void in Ken's life like this other young man could. Ran wasn't perfect – far from it. There were things he did that just didn't agree with Ken's simplicity, his kindness, his understanding.

And, there were things that Ken did that contrasted with his own personality, when he was a little cold, elegant and quiet. But that was what brought them together; they were both opposites that harbored one same sentiment of furious love. They'd often get angry at one another, and then yell, and after that, they'd make up and talk to each other again. It was a vicious cycle, but it kept Ran going. When everything else failed on him, Ken's love was there to support him.

But was it the same with Ken?

Ran couldn't tell.

"Hey, you okay?"

The redhead looked up, embarrassed. "Yes… I just… spaced off."

"Dreamy, aren't we?" Ken waggled his eyebrows. "Just what were you thinking off? Me, perhaps?"

"You evil flirt," Ran shook his head. "Where'd you learn such low blows? You know that no guy could ever resist that…"

"I took lessons," Ken grinned. "From this guy… uh, Uncle Yohji the All-Knowing Guru of Love, I think. Best twenty-five bucks I've spent, except that three hundred I'd used up to get seats for that soccer match last month…"

"You spent twenty five dollars on a… sex education class?" Ran was aghast. Ken was way too much of a spendthrift for his own good.

"Hey, hey! Go easy on me! A guy's gotta know what a guy's gotta know! I mean, don't you just feel bored lying there and letting me do all the work so naturally without any kinks or ---"

"Ken!" Ran turned as red as his hair. "This Yohji-Guru's… well, I think he's a bad influence…"

"And why's that?"

"I… just… like you for who you are. You don't have to do it… fancy. Just, normally. I'm not bored. I don't think I'd ever be," Ran stuttered, blood rushing to his face with every word he spoke. Proclamations were the most difficult things in the world. "You're… umm, a natural tiger…"

"Meowraaaar," Ken thumped his chest gaily, then lurched over to cough as he hit a wrong spot. Ran rushed to help him, patting his back as the brunet wheezed and choked. "Haa, haa ha – cough wheeze – haa ha – cough – haa ha!"

Ran couldn't help laughing along.

~*~*~+~*~*~ _Three Weeks Later…_ ~*~*~+~*~*~

It was lunchtime and Ran had gotten the day off for the remainder of his working hours. His first deed was to drop by at Ken's workplace and bring him a small meal, knowing that the brunet sometimes lost track of time. He smiled absently, stepping into the office where Ken worked, where he bumped right into someone familiar – the brunet himself, and another young man.

"Oh, hi, Ran!" Ken grinned, a little nervously, though.

"Hello, I was just looking for you," Ran looked over to the other person, a brunet youth with blue eyes and a kindly face. "This is…?"

"This is Omi, he's my… old friend," Ken scratched his head. "Um, we bumped into each other and decided to catch up. We were just about to do lunch."

"Oh, I came here to hand you some," Ran smiled slightly.

"Would you like to join us?" Omi asked gently, his tone was sweet, causing the redhead to feel slightly intimidated.

"Err, ah, Ran, aren't you working now?"

"Well, it's lunchtime, and I have the rest of the day off," the redhead answered carefully. "But well, I don't want to butt in… just… here you go, Ken." He handed the packet to the brunet. "Enjoy yourselves, I'll be at home if you need anything."

Ken grinned and nodded. "Thanks a lot, Ran!"

"Nice to have met you, Ran," Omi chipped in.

"Pleasure is mine," the redhead bowed slightly, and then started off to the opposite direction. The pair moved off, mingling with the crowd, Ken chattering gaily and Omi smiling and laughing. Ran stopped, and looked back.

Ken hadn't even introduced him…

_____________________

Nagi looked from one man to another, sitting edgily on the couch of his home. He knew, with his brother's temper and brutality in choosing words, things could get a little loud. Ran wasn't so much of help either. His cool nature sometimes just drove Ken crazy, but the youth knew somehow that Ran could never be too open with his feelings. He hid almost everything, only opening up to his brother. But he'd become a constant confidant lately, the redhead turning into a nervous wreck over time since two weeks ago.

It was today that they were going to talk it out. Ran had gone nuts and created a commotion at Ken's workplace, and the brunet had… well, not been very tolerant. Translated from Ken language to English, he'd slapped the redhead and Omi had had Ken's colleagues pull them apart before either of them died.

The situation was tense.

Omi shifted uncomfortably and Ran had stopped smiling ages ago. He looked tired, frightened, and nervous, while Ken looked mad, jumpy and at a loss of what to say.

The story had unraveled a while ago, and Ken had to say something personal to the redhead. Ken wasn't good at apologies, not like this. Apparently, as Omi had narrated, they'd bumped into each other some time ago, as the brunet had been hoping to do. Being lonely and missing his ex so much had turned him to applying and transferring himself to Ken's workplace, even for a lower pay. He had no idea about Ken and Ran's relationship, and they started dating over a period of time.

"In short, my brother played both sides of the field," Nagi finished the sentence for Omi, rather dryly.

"I'm… look, I'm sorry, I just…" Ken sat down, looking up at Ran and then down again. "I couldn't tell Omi. I knew he'd leave me if I did. He's kind, just like that."

"And Ran's not?" Nagi lifted a brow. Ken flinched. If there were one person in the world Ken was afraid of, it was probably his serious, determined and intelligent younger brother. Nagi had a way to make people do what he wanted them to do, just as he pleased, with a damn good reason to do it too.

"…Well, uh…"

"No I'm not," Ran answered softly. All three men stared at him as he spoke up suddenly. "I'm a selfish, arrogant prick. That's what he said."

"I didn't!" Ken shouted.

"Not you, but someone else," Ran looked away. "And he's right, you know."

"I doubt that," Omi answered quietly. "I think… I believe you treated Ken really well. The receptionist told me that she saw you often there, bringing Ken things, food, clothing… even waiting for him whenever he's late."

"Despite all that, I didn't fill in… that void in his life," Ran answered, rubbing the tingling spot on his cheek. "That just proves the point, doesn't it?"

"What point?" Nagi was curious. This had something to do with one of Ran's past loves, but the redhead hadn't said too much about them. Ran hardly said anything bad about them, only the good things, and how nice they were.

"He told me that no one could truly love me more than someone else they'd met in the past. There's something about me that just makes them like me, but that's as far as it would go."

"Who said that? It's not true! I…"

"If you were to choose between Omi and I, who would you pick?" Ran stared forlornly at him. "You can't play for two teams, Ken. You know that, don't you?"

"Ran…" the brunet was now truly at a loss. He sat down, and clenched and unclenched his fist, cracking his knuckles in the process. Then, determinedly, he looked up. "You already know the answer, then… Omi, I really, really regretted the day I let you go. I've always thought about you, no matter what." The brunet looked at Ran. "But don't think I didn't love you too. I wasn't just using you. And I'm not sorry I met you, either."

"I know." Ran stood up, walking towards the door. "Goodbye, Ken, Omi, Nagi."

"Where are you going?" Ken asked weakly.

"To clean my room and start living there again," Ran answered, looking back momentarily. "Good luck, the both of you. And Nagi, thanks so much for everything. I owe you a lot."

"You're welcome," Nagi nodded. "You'll always have a place here, you know."

"Ran."

The redhead turned around to face Ken, who was smiling sadly, apologetically. "We'll still be friends, won't we?"

"Of course."

He stepped out of the door, shutting it behind him, a quiet click marking the end of his once-happy affair. Affair…?

Oh, yes, it was an affair. It never was true love, was it? Ran had only been a substitute and an intruder to a firmly established relationship that begged to survive and make a difference in the world they lived in. Wrong as it may seem to some about Ken's actions, the redhead couldn't really blame Ken for making his choice.

Ran fiddled his pockets, pulling out one small item and gazing at it as he walked down the street. The minute glass ornament glittered with the colors of the rainbow, sparkling against the gray of that chilly late fall day.

No, Ken wasn't to blame for all this. He and Omi had been so in love, and they deserved to be together. Not even years of parting had killed off their emotion, and Ran could understand it. Ken and he were alike. They had somehow, although not realizing it, been using one another as an escape route. Now that Ken had found his flame rekindled, he wasn't needed anymore.

Ran smiled absently at the skies, as the first few snowflakes kissed his hair and face. He had been lucky to have bitten deep and tasted the sweet fruits of a rainbow, and as long as he remembered it, he would be content.

~*~*~ End ~*~*~

Note: Ah, finished! And I'm feeling better now! You probably already know what I'm basing this on, so there's no need for an explanation here, except that mine was… well, shakier and louder. 0_0 Yeah, I should've used Schu and Ken, but hehe! I like Ran, and having him go through what I did is ebbilly fun! Time for Windy to be happy again!

Aa, no presents for anyone who guessed who Ran's ex-lover was! I won't tell who anyway! Fwees! Thanks for reading!


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